book conversion workflow?

BeccaPrice · 09-17-2011, 12:33 PM

for a technical writing class, I'm doing a project on creating a universal ebook - one that can be read equally well on smart phones, Kindles, epub readers, and tablets. I know there are several good resource books out there, but they all seem to focus on either Kindle or epub readers (or, in one case, iPads). I'm trying to create a (mostly) universal document in part to avoid getting into too much HTML and CSS issues - my target audience is a naive but willing user, so I'm not assuming much HTML or CSS knowledge.

After lurking her and at the Sigil forum, it seems that the best workflow is to create the document in Word (I'm assuming a Windows environment), convert to epub with Calibre, clean up the formatting with Sigil, and then convert to mobi with Calibre.

Is this too complex? Does this make sense?

The type of document I'm assuming is maintenance and repair procedures for a small business.

Remember, please, this is a writing exercise, and not intended for life beyond the needs of this class. (it's also a good excuse for me to learn Calibre and Sigil.)

Thanks for any help anyone can give me!

itimpi · 09-17-2011, 12:41 PM

Calibre cannot convert books that are in .doc/.docx formats. If you are using Word, then you should use the "Save as Web Page (filtered)" option to get a document that is likely to convert without too many issues. Probably the next best format starting from Word is RTF.

alansplace · 09-17-2011, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by itimpi

Calibre cannot convert books that are in .doc/.docx formats. If you are using Word, then you should use the "Save as Web Page (filtered)" option to get a document that is likely to convert without too many issues. Probably the next best format starting from Word is RTF.

i open .doc files with openoffice and then save them as .odt. works for me.

Manichean · 09-17-2011, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alansplace

i open .doc files with openoffice and then save them as .odt. works for me.

If you already have OO.org installed and are creating the document from scratch (which is what the OP is about), you can just write the text directly in OpenOffice.

alansplace · 09-17-2011, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manichean

If you already have OO.org installed and are creating the document from scratch (which is what the OP is about), you can just write the text directly in OpenOffice.

yup...

theducks · 09-17-2011, 02:16 PM

And create EPUB directly with Writer2EPUB plugin for OO

09-17-2011, 12:33 PM	#1
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	book conversion workflow? for a technical writing class, I'm doing a project on creating a universal ebook - one that can be read equally well on smart phones, Kindles, epub readers, and tablets. I know there are several good resource books out there, but they all seem to focus on either Kindle or epub readers (or, in one case, iPads). I'm trying to create a (mostly) universal document in part to avoid getting into too much HTML and CSS issues - my target audience is a naive but willing user, so I'm not assuming much HTML or CSS knowledge. After lurking her and at the Sigil forum, it seems that the best workflow is to create the document in Word (I'm assuming a Windows environment), convert to epub with Calibre, clean up the formatting with Sigil, and then convert to mobi with Calibre. Is this too complex? Does this make sense? The type of document I'm assuming is maintenance and repair procedures for a small business. Remember, please, this is a writing exercise, and not intended for life beyond the needs of this class. (it's also a good excuse for me to learn Calibre and Sigil.) Thanks for any help anyone can give me!

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09-17-2011, 12:41 PM	#2
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,552 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	Calibre cannot convert books that are in .doc/.docx formats. If you are using Word, then you should use the "Save as Web Page (filtered)" option to get a document that is likely to convert without too many issues. Probably the next best format starting from Word is RTF.

09-17-2011, 02:16 PM	#6
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 29,812 Karma: 54830978 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	And create EPUB directly with Writer2EPUB plugin for OO

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